The city that never sleeps
Somewhere between "An American Family" and "The Osbournes," reality TV took an ugly turn, jamming "reality" into the trunk of the car and granting a driver's seat to the most outlandish characters producers could dig up. Filmmaker Terence Wrong has managed to buck the trend with a string of thoughtful, respectful summer documentaries, the most recent of which is "NY Med," an eight-part series that follows doctors and nurses serving on the front line. Mehmet Oz is one of the featured surgeons, but the cast members are mostly unknowns who deserve to take a bow. Ween yourself off of "The Bachelorette" and check into this engaging series — doctor's orders. 9 p.m. Thursday, KSTP, Ch. 5
Cereal killer
"True Blood" kicks off its seventh and final season as the town of Bon Temps braces itself for a new crisis: A run at the local grocery store on a vampire's favorite breakfast cereal, Count Chocula — now with 10 percent real blood! Someone should have put a stake in this show years ago. 8 p.m. Sunday, HBO
Lawyers in love
David Boies and Ted Olson, the lawyers who battled each other in front of the Supreme Court during the ballot count for Bush vs. Gore, make unlikely bedfellows in "The Cast Against 8," a documentary about how the two led the fight for marriage equality. One fascinating tidbit: Helping bring them together was none other than Rob "Meathead" Reiner. 8 p.m. Monday, HBO
The great escapist
All three of Steve McQueen's wives, including Ali MacGraw, share their memories of him in "I Am Steve McQueen," a new documentary that isn't afraid to show the rough edges of one of film's most magnetic stars. Producers are generous with clips, but it's a head scratcher as to why they didn't focus more on "The Reivers," one of the actor's riskiest works. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Spike
Neal Justin
